Western Daily Press article 28th December 1876 – A Woman in Male Attire

The article reads as follows: BRISTOL POLICE COURT WEDNESDAY.-Before Mr J. A. JONES and Mr W. PETHICK A WOMAN IN MALE ATTIRE. — Louisa Spokes, a woman about 30 years of age, living at 4, Cheese Lane, St. Philip’s, was brought up in custody charged with disorderly con- duct, and with being found in public dressed in male attire. P.C. 275 deposed that on Tuesday evening, about seven o’ clock, he saw the prisoner in Old Market, in com- pany with another woman; both of them were behaving in a disorderly manner. The prisoner was clad in a por- tion of a soldier’s uniform, with trousers and jacket. The prisoner now appeared attired in the same garments, and in reply to the magistrates she stated that she put them on for a bit of fun and didn’t mean any harm. She was very sorry and promised that it should not occur again. One of the St. Philip’s officers stated that both the woman and her husband had been locked up for dis- orderly conduct. Prisoner was discharged on condition of her finding a surety of £5 for her good behaviour in the future.